‘Boys can be princesses, too.’ That’s the main idea of photographer Kitty Wolf’s new campaign of the same name. The Chicago-based photographer believes that anyone, regardless of gender, can “enjoy the magic, beauty, and empowerment of a fairy tale princess.”

“I have seen boys being told that princesses are ‘just for girls’ or that liking princesses and especially dressing as one somehow makes them weak, inferior or not boys. They’re told it’s not manly, or macho, or normal. This leads boys to feel ashamed of their interests, confused, sad, and lonely,” Kitty writes.

“Putting on a princess dress doesn’t make a boy a girl anymore than putting on a shell makes them a real ninja turtle. When I say ‘can be a princess,’ I mean they can be a princess when they play the same way they can be a superhero when they play, even though neither is literally possible by definition. I simply feel that a child’s imagination should not be limited by their gender.”

Teddy and Ariel

​The internet was split into several camps when it heard about photographer Kitty’s new campaign. Some people adored the core idea that everyone is free to be whomever they want to be. Others wondered if the kids were being pressured to do something they might not otherwise want to do. While still others pointed out the grammatical fact that boys are called ‘princes’ while girls are called ‘princesses.’

Calvin and Cinderella

According to photographer Kitty, she wanted a series of photos showing boys dressed as their favorite Disney princesses together with those princesses. “I know there are little boys out there that love these fairy tale characters just as much as the little girls we meet doing princess parties. Our interactions with them have been, for whatever reasons, few and far between, but we see these boys, we know them, and we love them!”

Speaking of princesses, Disney recently released a sequel to the incredibly popular movie ‘Frozen’ about princess Elsa of Arendelle. While in 2020, Disney will be releasing the live-action version of ‘Mulan.’

James and Anna

Dear Pandas, what did you think of Kitty Wolf’s photo campaign? What’s your favorite Disney princess? What did you think of ‘Frozen II’ and do you plan on watching ‘Mulan?’ Share your thoughts in the comments.